How DualShock 4 makes split-screen gaming better on PS4

PS4: "If the system sees that we've swapped places, or I've passed the controller to someone, it can automatically adjust the ordering of the split screen so that it makes sense to everyone."

PlayStation 4 comes with a new high-tech controller: the predictably-named DualShock 4. While it retains the same button layout as previous generations of Sony controllers, it adds a rather unique feature: a glowing strip of light at the controller's head, enabling the use of PlayStation Move-style tracking.

"We can track the position of this controller with multiple folks in the room. It's very easy for the PS4 to identify who's who, who's holding which controller," Scott Rohde, SVP of product development at Worldwide Studios said.

Being able to track players and their controllers opens up new features. One of the most intriguing examples involves split-screen gameplay. "If the system sees that we've swapped places, or I've passed the controller to someone, it can automatically adjust the ordering of the split screen so that it makes sense to everyone," SCEA R&D senior software engineer Anton Mikhailov said in a new video released by Sony (thanks valcan_s!). "It seems like a minor thing, but it actually really helps the flow of the game and helps the intuitiveness of the entire console."

We expect to test this functionality as soon as we can, by gratuitously wrestling someone while playing split-screen game.